Testimony of Anthony Gittens at the Roundtable on the Creative Economy
December 17, 2010
"Is the District of Columbia going to acquiesce its cultural identity to the National Mall? For visitors to Washington, is the District’s cultural vitality going to be limited to activities at the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian institution? What about those of us who live here? Who work, shop, worship and send our children to school here? What about our choirs, murals, performing groups, dancers, musicians, Latino theaters, art galleries, salsa bands, Chinese, Caribbean, Greek, Gay and Jewish festivals? Is our cultural expression second-class, or even worse invisible?"
Testimony of Robert Bettmann at the Gap Closing Hearing November 30, 2010
November 30, 2010
"Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I’m here to try and bring your attention to the impact of the recent series of cuts to arts funding. I know that arts funding isn’t as critical as emergency services, and I think that’s why the city has overlooked the impact of the recent series of arts funding cuts."
Testimony of Robert Bettmann at the PSCA Hearing on Bill B18-451, 2009 Bill to Protect Artists
October 21, 2010
"When the arts community talks about city support for the arts, we are usually talking about budgets. The 5.8 million that the city allocated FY 11 for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities supports individuals, communities, businesses, and arts education in every ward of the city. City Arts funding is a critical part of the total funding ecosystem, and funding is a critical part of arts support."
Testimony of Sarah Browning at the 2010 Budget Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
April 27, 2010
"At a time when publishers are suffering from the economic crisis and newspapers are no longer publishing – or even publicizing – poetry, Commission support has been critical to nurturing and sustaining this essential art form. I urge the Council to resist the cuts to the Commission’s budget proposed by the Mayor and recognize the essential role that arts and culture play in the life of the District of Columbia and its residents, whose poetry explores the city’s past, negotiates its present, and imagines its future."
Testimony of Abdur-Rahim Muhammad at the 2010 Budget Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
April 27, 2010
"I urge you and this committee to reconsider the proposed decreases to the 2011 budget of DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. I also urge you to look closely at small community based arts organizations and their ability to impact the residents of our city in a manner that leads towards positive outcomes for the individual, our local community, and even beyond our borders."
Testimony of Robert Bettmann at the 2010 Budget Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
April 27, 2010
"I am concerned with this draft budget. Gross funding for the arts has gone down, again. This will result in lost tax revenue. In this hearing many of my peers will talk about specific arts programs and arts education programs. They will tell you why cutting arts funding will hurt the city and their programs. I agree with every one of their reasons, and stand by their examples. Rather than go over the same material, today I want to focus on how the city could get more from the funding that does exist."
Testimony of Polly Thibodeau at the Hearing for the Healthy Schools Act
March 26, 2010
"I congratulate Councilmember Cheh, Chairman Gray, their staff, and all the stakeholders who have crafted the language of the Healthy Schools Act. And I urge you to consider dance as you roll out the physical activity requirements, so that DC’s children can experience the joy of motion."
Testimony of Robert Bettmann at the Hearing for the Healthy Schools Act
March 26, 2010
As you are aware, money not spent on education ends up being spent on prisons; money not spent helping children acquire healthy habits in eating and exercise end up being spent on health care; and money not spent encouraging students toward 21st century job skills end up spent in unemployment programs. As this bill is revised, I hope that you will find ways to explicitly encourage students to fulfill their PE requirement through dance classes.
Testimony of Mazi Mutafa at the 2010 Oversight Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
March 04, 2010
"I am not here today not to advocate for a particular position on the budget, because to be honest, it is complex enough and removed enough from my day-to-day life that I don’t think I can offer a professional judgment. I am one of the Districts employers still focused on trying to make payroll every two weeks. I understand without knowing the details, that less funding for the Commission means that task is more difficult for me. We are in fact one of the grantees that this year is already dealing with the reduction in funding, or depending on how you look at the budget, the increase in applications from other arts based non-profits."
Testimony of George Koch at the 2010 Oversight Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
February 26, 2010
"The District’s creative industries generate more than $5 billion worth of income each year, according to an assessment recently conducted by the DC Office of Planning and Washington DC Economic Partnership. “The economic significance of the creative sector is clear – creative enterprises play a key role in contributing to the District’s economic vibrancy through tourism, income generation, and business incubation,” said Harriet Tregoning, Director of the Office of Planning. “Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to harness the extensive talent in the city in a way that will position the District as a global leader in creative industries.”
Testimony of Robert Bettmann at the 2010 Oversight Hearing for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
March 04, 2010
"Most of the money that the District spends - once it’s spent, it’s just gone. But money invested in arts businesses returns to the city as tax revenue, and benefits residents through jobs and services. In 2005 the city invested just over 10 million in the local arts community. According the Arts and Economic Prosperity III study, in 2005 Arts and Culture organizations in the District paid $335 million dollars in wages to residents and $62 million dollars in direct taxes."
July 2009 Arts Funding Petition as submitted to City Council with Signatures
July 30, 2009
"As has been documented by local and national media, the arts community is in crisis. Now is not the time to cut arts funding. To do so would undermine all of the investments that have been made building the local arts economy over the last thirty years. The draft FY 2010 budget cuts arts funding for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities by 37%, at the same time that private donations and foundation giving are down. Restoring funding to FY 2009 levels would give the arts community the time and confidence to leverage the city's support, and to continue serving the citizens of DC and the millions of visitors who come to the nation's capital each year."
Testimony of Robert Bettmann to the Council of the Whole at the Gap Closing Hearing (2009)
July 24, 2009
"It’s clear from the gap-closing narrative that the city is struggling with a very real need to reduce overall commitments. The city is trying to avoid a financial crisis, and I have great respect for the seriousness with which the mayor and this body are dealing with the responsibility. However, I am here to today in my capacity as Chair of the DC Advocates for the Arts to discuss why arts funding is important, and to argue that you should increase arts funding in the FY 2010 budget. With the size of the overall budget, you might not realize the impact that arts funding has on this community. Arts funding is a tiny line, with a massive impact. Now is not the time for the city to be cutting efficient investments in revenue creation, and service provision."
Four excerpts from the NEA's "How the United States Funds"publication. Excerpts here include: Introduction, Funding for State Arts Agencies, Supporting National Arts Institutions, and Earmarks.
New York Times - Selling Culture as an Economic Force
February 15, 2009
Article from the New York Times (Robin Pogebrin) detailing the battle around the inclusion of arts funding (NEA Funding) in the economic stimulus package. Title - Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force. Article pasted in full here. See it live on the NYT site here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/arts/16mone.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
January 2008 article about arts/economy interactions. "While the economy continues to deteriorate, arts organizations are scrambling to cut costs and find new ideas to fund museums, artists and community centers."
